Modern motor vehicles include numerous components that are impractical to routinely test in order to ensure proper functionality. As a result, many vehicle operators (e.g., individuals and/or companies) simply wait until such components fail prior to replacing and/or repairing these components or, alternatively, routinely repair and/or replace these components according to a preventative maintenance schedule. The former approach may result in the failure of the component during vehicle use, which can lead to damage to other vehicle components, substantial inconvenience with respect to retrieval of the incapacitated vehicle, and an increase in the total time the vehicle is out of service. The latter approach, however, may result in premature replacement and/or repair of the components, thereby increasing the lifetime operating cost of the vehicle.
Accordingly, a need exists for improved systems and methods for diagnosing and/or detecting impending vehicle component failures without requiring a significant vehicle owner time expenditure in order to enable replacement and/or repair of vehicle components immediately prior to an impending vehicle component failure.